The United States is monitoring the ships for possible seizure, and many tankers changed course near the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. operation began, according to one official familiar with the matter. Earlier, the daily reported that a Chinese tanker that was avoiding US restrictions on Iranian oil turned around while trying to leave the Strait of Hormuz and returned to the Persian Gulf.
Sources quoted by “WSJ” also said that US forces may attack Iranian army speedboats using drones, but there are no plans to open fire on tankers leaving Iranian ports.
The Americans want to block traffic to Iranian protégés
US Central Command announced on Sunday that American forces would begin blocking all maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports. The blockade is enforced against vessels of all countries entering Iranian ports and coastal zones, including ports on the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
At the same time, the Command assured that American forces will not impede the freedom of navigation of ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz to non-Iranian ports.
On Tuesday, CENTCOM reported that during the first 24 hours of the U.S. blockade, which began Monday morning, no ships had gotten through and six had turned back.
